


Borrowed Time

by ForestFox



Series: The future in your words. [16]
Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Alpha!Aster, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Omega!Jack, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-05
Updated: 2014-12-05
Packaged: 2018-02-28 05:51:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2721134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ForestFox/pseuds/ForestFox
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He grow sick of his borrowed time and his borrowed life. Surely things will get better? He was promised a happy ending.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Borrowed Time

Jack looked out into the night. He could barely see beyond the fire. Its steady heat, and his makeshift clothing from his bedsheets kept him warm. Nightlight said he wouldn’t be gone long. For his brother that was a very real truth, in and out in the blink of an eye. And yet painful minutes were ticking by. Had he been caught? It wasn’t possible now that he was in Callistephus ‘with the Queen’. They had no reason they could prove to detain him now.

Even as his thoughts creeped dark with the promise of his brother’s head rolling over a wooden platform in public execution, Aster appeared arm and arm with his brother. He let out a cry, rushing past the fire, right into his lover’s arms. His unease was met with desperately painful kisses. He felt a burning in his bottom lip, irrelevant, Aster surely had cut him with his teeth. Nothing that was not forgiven as his paws traveled around his body and down. Claws digging into the flesh of his ass, as he was lifted off his feet.

His legs instantly went around his lover’s waist, hugging him tightly with his whole body. His instincts that were even now wired and wearing at the ends, soothed by his presence. His alpha was here and he would be safe. But even as his body promised all would be well, he felt his sheets shifted and tugged. Aster! He was going to soothe his own needs, and while that was perfectly reasonable they didn’t have time to make love.

“No,” he huffed, even as he dug a fist into Aster’s neck fur, pulling himself back in for another kiss. That warm rough tongue filled him with joy. He gasped between another stolen kiss, even as his clothing pooled around his waist, “Fellon. Fellon needs you my love.”

It wasn’t the instant cold water he had hoped it would be. They did not jump apart as though they were on fire. Instead, Aster nipped roughly at his skin, kissing and sucking so that Jack cried out in pain and bliss. A mark from his alpha to soothe his fried nerves. He was claimed and wanted even though everything was keeping them apart. He felt whiskers on his cheek and Aster’s hot breath in his ear. “When our son is returned and safe I intend to fuck my claim on you love. So deeply that you will never gaze upon another man and want him again. Do you understand me?”

Jack knew it was the instincts in Aster. The alpha that was reigning in his normally clear headed peacekeeper right now. It spoke to his omega side, making him weak at the knees and tempted. But he loved Aster, and because he loved him he fought his own instincts. Trembling, he pulled his sheets back up over his body, attempting to avoid tempting his alpha. He knew the dangers that Fellon faced. Their son, Aster had said their son!

“Love… you need to find the best healer. You need to find him now! One that can stop a grievous wound.” He glanced at his brother who had stood silent and waiting for them to gather themselves.

“How grievous?” He loved the possessive and angry growl coming from his lover. He was angry and ready to protect their son. But he had enough sense to keep himself together.

He pressed a finger to the center of his chest, trailing it down and around his side to his back he sucked in a breath, trying to speak. “He was cut from front to back, an accident. He will die quickly when he is retrieved. We have time to find help to stop that from happening. But he can’t be left longer… it’s not safe for those with no fae blood.”

“Retrieved from where?…” Jack hated how Aster’s eyes flickered full of cold rage in the fire. Golden in the firelight, so very much like Pitch’s own eyes.

“I don’t know. We call it the nowhere. Nightlight can move through it and take others through it… but if Nightlight leaves something there…. the nowhere is a timeless place. It’s keeping Fellon alive, but the nowhere isn’t… he shouldn’t be left there. We need a healer.” Jack insisted.

Aster was done listening it seemed, as he turned to Nightlight, “Fetch my son.”

Jack was already hooking his hand around Aster’s arm as Nightlight refused. “We need the healer first.”

“You will listen to me. No healer can save my son now. You need and have a mage, but I can’t save him if you aren’t ready to help me,” Aster snarled clearly warring with himself. Jack hugged Aster’s arm to his chest, nodding, and trying to calm the vicious, protective urges warring in his lover right now. He didn’t want Aster to strike him in a blind rage and regret it later.

“Nightlight, do as he says.” Jack looked up at Aster knowing that Nightlight had already gone to fetch Fellon.

“I can’t save him without your help. You must freeze him-”

“But I’ll hurt him! I could kill him!” Jack argued, unable to help himself. He would not contribute to Fellon’s death. He was trying to prevent it.

“You will hurt him slower than if he were to bleed out. My love, I need you to buy me time.” Aster insisted. Jack wanted to argue more. It was a terrible idea really. Worse so that he had called Aster in to do this of all things! He was supposed to help matters! But his words died on his lips as shrieks filled the air.

Nightlight was back, his arms full of Fellon. His golden gauntlets already stained with blood. “Hold him down!” Aster barked, slipping free of Jack. Jack followed a step behind him towards the pair as his brother put the child down. Jack watched as his little Fellon was pinned by his arms and legs. Again Aster barked out an order, “Do it Jack!”

He looked at them wrestling to keep the boy down. His side oozing blood and odd things poking out of his fur. Perhaps his insides? With a swallow Jack held his arms out and recklessly willed his powers to freeze. Tendrils of white ice shot from his hands down to Fellon’s small body. He felt his eyes prick with tears as his magic touched fur with an icy crack, ice freezing the matted fur in place and spreading with horrible speed. His wordless shrieks warped into a painful scream. Still faster the ice spread over his wound turning his blood to ice and keeping him from moving as his torso froze. Jack jerked his hands back hoping that it wouldn’t spread anymore. Surely he’d kill the boy if he froze his heart.

“Why- it hurts!” Fellon finally managed to shout at them. His little voice wracked with sobs between painful hollars.

“Shush my boy. Papa’s here.” Aster commanded in a soothing voice, as he let go of Fellon’s legs. Jack wanted to protest he could still struggle, but he said nothing, staring. Thick roots had grown over Fellon’s legs. He watched as Aster waved a paw, more roots wrapping around Fellon’s arms.

Jack glanced over at Nightlight as his brother stood up, clapping for attention. ‘What is going on?’ Jack could only shrug in response, not sure himself. ‘Are the pooka fae?’

“I don’t know!” he snapped, looking down again. Aster was waving his paws about again. But it made no senseto Jack, only that the very ground Fellon was lying on was now rising up to swallow the boy whole. Roots and vines that had not been there before crawled their way up with surprising speed, covering the boy’s frozen wound, cracking through the ice Jack had made, and slipping into his body.

“Leave me to my work if you can’t be quiet.” Jack turned away looking past the fire to the quiet little shack he had been sharing with his brother. Aster was a soldier, he had seen blood, had seen it so much so that merely describing the wound had left him with a plan of attack. This was not new to his lover. And he could contribute nothing to it now. He ran towards the safety of the shack, feeling the dam of tears and feelings threatening to break free. He would let his lover work in peace for the sake of their son.

He made no move to turn on the lamp, instead crawling into the cot. Hugging his legs to his chest, he let it all go. His tears quickly bleeding through the cloth on his knees. He had to remind himself his sister had promised his child would have a big brother. That though he had hurt Fellon with his magic, and in the moments he had been brought out of the nowhere he had bled so much, he would live. He simply had to live, the thought of never being able to read to him again made him cry out in anguish.

He would already be a sorry mother, never around. There was no way that he could return to the castle now. Nightlight had admitted to protecting him, killing so that no one would steal the core and put his life in danger. And yet now he had been ordered by his Queen to fetch it, and he had returned his bargaining chip to the King. Jack could never go home, but he could stay here in safety. Hiding out with a chance to see Fellon when he could. His perfect future with a family and a home gone, but not completely broken.

Sucking in a deep breath, he felt another strong sob wrack his body. All he had wanted in life was to have a family and enjoy life. Maybe if he hadn’t trusted in his sister's words, perhaps he would have lived a different life. Found a man in his own kingdom and raised children in due time. Instead he had followed his heart and sought out someone to be with. Had tried to force his future because his sister had promised it to him, and now he was useless as Fellon was dying.

“Jack- wake up.” Aster’s voice woke him. He sat up surprised he had managed to fall asleep. Wiping his eyes, he squinted in the darkness. Light was breaking in through the window, just enough to see Fellon cradled in his love’s arms. His young face was twisted in pain, but sleeping. That much he could see as the boy whimpered in his sleep as he was laid down in the cot next to him.

“I’ve done enough to hold him, but I have to get back. I’m still in talks with the King and Queen. She doesn’t know her subjects aren’t as loyal as she believes. She keeps threatening to  return a corpse to me. Thank you, I’ll be able to finally rest.” Aster rattled on, Jack made no move to interrupt him,instead looking down at Fellon, and listening. His sweet little boy was stripped of his clothing, a large, odd mass of bark and vines wrapped around his middle. He couldn’t help but lay back down next to him. He hugged the bark carefully, wondering what magics his lover was hiding from him.

He watched in silence as Aster leaned down, kissing Fellon’s forehead. “Keep our son safe until I can return. Feed him if you can, but do not move him more than you need to.” Jack stayed silent as he watched Aster give Fellon’s pained face an affectionate nuzzle before he left. Things were certainly horrible now, and his child so pained in his arms. But he had a good alpha and he had to trust that his sister’s promise would hold true, despite the future presented to him now.

**Author's Note:**

> The next bit will be the last bit, but I did want to show you exactly how Fellon is saved since i left you all wondering how him for so long.


End file.
